It’s time for revolutions in Formula E. In London, the final round of the 2024 Formula E championship, the drivers’ market opened with the announcement of Nico Mueller’s farewell to ABT, kicking off what will be a series of announcements in view of Season 11.
In fact, next season, not only will the cars change with the debut of the Gen 3 EVO, but also the line-ups of many teams, because behind the scenes the teams are looking for new drivers to strengthen their respective teams. In recent days, the first announcements of various farewells have started to arrive, such as that of Stoffel Vandoorne to DS and the Maserati duo, with Max Gunther who is thought to be about to join the French team.
Vandoorne had joined DS Penske for the 2022/23 season as defending champion, having secured his only title the previous season with Mercedes, who he was set to leave following the German marque’s decision to abandon Formula E ahead of the debut of the Gen 3 car.
Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
However, the Belgian struggled to integrate into his new team despite the support of DS, which also recruited high-profile engineers from other teams to allow him to express himself at his best. His departure does not come as a surprise: speaking to Motorsport.com during the Berlin weekend, the Belgian had explained how much these difficulties had weighed, especially in his first season with those new colors. Only in his second year did all the work behind the scenes seem to have started to bear fruit, but the results, beyond some good performances in qualifying and a podium, were not enough, so the two parties decided to part ways.
Maserati entered this perspective and, thanks to the departure of Max Gunther and Jehan Daruvala, explored the market to understand what opportunities there were to strengthen the line-up of a growing team. The Trident brand has in fact performed well at the beginning of the season, scoring not only several podiums, but also a victory in Tokyo.
Maserati’s choice fell on Vandoorne, who will join the team next season alongside Jake Hughes, who is coming from McLaren. In this way, the Belgian, Formula E world champion in 2022, will remain in the Stellantis family, moving from DS Penske to Maserati MSG, which will also give him the opportunity to continue his role in Peugeot in the WEC.
“I am very happy to join Maserati MSG Racing next season and am proud to be associated with an iconic name in motorsport like Maserati,” said Vandoorne.
Maximilian Gunther, Maserati Racing, Maserati Tipo Folgore, Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23
Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images
“I’m excited to start working with the team: even if I have never worked directly with them, I know the team well, both from my time at DS Penske and at Mercedes, when we shared a Powertrain with Venturi”, added the Belgian, noting that in fact at the time Maserati, which raced under the Venturi banner, could count on a Powertrain supplied by Mercedes, the team in which Vandoorne raced.
“They are a fantastic group of people, very competent, very determined and I look forward to working with them in the future. I hope we will have a lot of success and fight together for victories and to win championships.”
Alongside him will be another interesting name, that of Jake Hughes. The British driver arrives in Maserati after spending the last two seasons in McLaren, the team that allowed him to make his debut in Formula E. In these two years with the Woking team, Hughes has shown himself to be one of the most effective drivers on the single lap, scoring four pole positions and numerous top-8s, those that are worth access to the qualifying duels.
Jake Hughes, McLaren
Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images
Hughes scored his first podium in the electric category in Shanghai this year, but the Englishman is one of the most exciting talents around. Before officially competing in Formula E, the 30-year-old Briton was previously a reserve driver for the Venturi team, the “old” incarnation of the current Maserati team, so this will not be a completely new experience for him.
“I am delighted to be joining Maserati MSG Racing. The success the team has had as one of the ever-present teams in Formula E history speaks for itself. On a personal level, I have worked with the team before, so I know it well and I am looking forward to returning.”
“I know the season has just finished, but I can’t wait to get to HQ in Monaco to start working with the engineers, get on the simulator and really start preparing for Season 11.”
“This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in my career and I know the best is yet to come.”
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